The Willful Sky (故意の空)
by Hirari Haru
Summary: After the victory at the Winter Cup, a school exchange program causes Kuroko to meet a basketball team highly skilled in group play. Intrigued, he makes it his duty to cultivate their individual talents, and together they manage to produce results more brilliant than either could've imagined. (Male OCs)
1. Prologue

_The Willful Sky_

_Summary: By reflecting visible light, an image can be seen in the mirror. After a twist of fate, Kuroko meets a basketball team highly skilled in group play. In order to convey their passion to the rest of Japan, Kuroko makes it his duty to polish their individual talents, and produce results more brilliant than anyone could've imagined. "故意の空 (Koi no Sora) - The Willful Sky_

**Disclaimer: This fan-fiction was set on the shared accounts Hirari Haru of EternalWaltz and Made2353. We do not own Kuroko no Basuke, just this fic. Along with any characters involved. There are spoilers included into this story and OC's (Original Characters) later in the story will appear.**

**Warning: There will be some spoilers from the Kuroko no Basuke/Basket series.**

Prologue

* * *

_The shadow's role is the absence of the light. Guiding it and helping it along the way so that the light may grow stronger every day: the stronger the light, the bigger the shadow. I never outshine it, I just follow, mimicking its power to the extent of my abilities, and I will never reach its full capacity. But in this world, if mirrors can reflect light, than I suppose that a shadow such as myself can be called a " mirror". And there are many mirrors in this world. I am one to this team. Striking this world with a roar like thunder, shining out like the sun, yet I outwash the problems like rain and whisk around similar to a breeze; watching a distance like the clouds. No, I am no sky like the 5 I have named, and they are no miracles. But like the water reflecting the sky till dawn and dusk, I will reflect and guide them till they are complete._

It was three days after the tear pouring, sweat-soaked, and lingering determination and sentiment of the Finals at Winter Cup. Some would describe the results a dream, others a sign of luck or karma. With these results,perhaps a bit of everything: Seirin vs. Rakuzan—victors Seirin, with a one point difference of 106-105. When that momentous day came to a close, Kiyoshi left towards America to fix his knee injury, everyone still engaged in training, and Kuroko… he finally accomplished what he started with the Generation of Miracles. In the end, he became the "Shadow that surpassed the Light".

An hour or two after twelve, it was near late January, only days away from February. The days had become shorter, colder, and people had begun to stock up on chocolates and paper hearts. But it's not exactly a bad thing; it's a time some people love or hate. The sky was no clear blue, but instead it was overcast with grey clouds like soot and smoke. The sun still peeks out of the cracks, only to disappear a second later.

The soft breath of snoring, along with the sounds of a page being turned, he laid his body on the bed. His back was up against the headboard, his eyes reflecting the words across the paper, only to shift with the flip of a page. Engrossed into the book, next to him laid a bundle of fur, which whimpered and snuggled up close to his owner, who was petting the dog into a sweet comfort behind its ears. A soft knock interrupted the silence, and echoed through the room. Looking up toward the wooden door, he sat up, placed a book mark into the white pages, and walked toward the door.

He looked down at the small figure, only inches smaller in height. "Okaasan…" He opened up his door for his mother to enter.

"Tetsuya, you have mail." Her voice was silvery, clear, light and pleasant to the ears. Kuroko Tetsuya and his mother both had a similar set of eyes, big and doe-cerulean colored. They stared back at each other affectionately. Their light blue hair had a texture soft to the touch, pale skin, and blank expressions with the barest hint of soft insight. After all, Kuroko had inherited his looks and low-presence from his mother and his personality from his father. She handed over two envelopes, you could easily differentiate the context in each envelope. One was a big brown envelope, and the other was an average-sized white one.

"Thank you." Kuroko looked down at each address, and printed on the page were the words he had been waiting for.

"Tetsuya…" He looked up at his mother; she wore a smile-that tingled like the sun. But her eyes held quite the opposite, concern and sadness. "I trust your choice." Tracing her hand along her son's cheek, the soft touch made Kuroko shake a bit. He reached and held his mother hand back,

"I know…" She left then, leaving a lingering presence of bittersweet. Kuroko swallowed before exhaling deeply, clutching the envelopes in his hands just a little tighter.

Walking over to his desk, with the new papers in his hand, he opened the white envelope first. He scanned the content of the letter, and words similar to the first letter appeared.

_Dear Parents/Guardians of Kuroko Tetsuya,_

_Your child has been one of the few to be chosen to participate in the "New World Exchange Program" or better known as the "N.W.E.P." We will be humbly honored if your child will participate in this program. This program involves your child going to one of the selected schools in Japan, where they will transfer for a period of time. This program will start and end on or around January 31st, 2014. He/she will stay one year and he will most likely stay there when he moves to the next grade. Your child can visit home or places outside the school during leisure periods. If you were given this letter, that means that you and your child have already decided to participate in the program, and you should have been given an envelope about the school your child will be attending. If you did not get the envelope, than please contact us-further information can be found below._

_If you would like more information about the program or school your child is attending, than please check with our program's website, your child's future school, or the envelope that came with this letter._

_Sincerely, New World Exchange Program_

Mentally sighing to himself, he opened up the envelope, and scanned over the school he would be attending. "Ryuudou Gakuen: All Boys' Academy located in the Yamagata district. Good social standings and great academic learning. Every extraneous cost will be paid for by the N.W.E. P...Living in a new home or commuting to and from school shouldn't be a problem- all I have to do is live in the dorms," he muttered to himself. Scanning the area and things along with his classes and clubs available, the minutes passed, and the weight on his heart only increased. The paper once clean and dry was now pattered with a drop of mineral water, which continued to run down the cheeks of the dear phantom. "Goodbye…"

* * *

Midday, on Monday morning, a set of freshmen males were walking down the halls and heading towards the cafeteria.

"Man, I can't believe we actually won Winter Cup."

"Yeah, it feels like a dream." The smallest of the three, and almost the same height as Kuroko had light brown, mid-length hair. He played number 12 on the Seirin Basketball Team: Furihata Kouki. Next was number 15, average height with very short, black hair: Koichi Kawahara. Finally there was Fukuda Hiroshi, number 13. He had black, spikey hair with strands hanging off his forehead, with rather long eyes lashes.

"Hey, so what are you guys getting for lunch?" Kawahara asked.

"Hmm… Furihata what are you getting?" Fukuda wasn't really sure, so he relied on the person next to him.

"Anything really, as long as I have the mon- ah!" He quickly scavenged through his pockets, only to feel the empty presence of metal and paper. "I forgot the money back at the classroom." He quickly started heading back the direction he was just from. "Go ahead, I'll be right there. Try saving me something before it's all gone." He started running back to his classroom, right down the hall and passes the teacher's lounge.

"Crap, I hope- Gyaah!"

He suddenly stumbled a bit forward, and looked back at the door he was just about to pass. Students looked around and stared back at the door where a scream came behind it. "What was that?" He groaned, getting himself up. Wiping off any dirt or dust stained on his uniform, his eyes looked up at the sign. "Teacher's Lounge… Did something happen?" Looking at the door, he stared in temptation, finally to submit to it. He slid the door open a crack, and looked inside.

"Gomenasai sensei, I didn't mean to startle you." In the middle of the room was a panting teacher, shaking with a terrified look of relief.

"It's alright Kuroko; your lack of presence always does this sort of thing." The male teacher sat down, and looked up at the teen who had been an uncanny margin away from giving him a heart attack. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I filled the information for the program."

'Program…?' Furihata listened in more.

"That was fast," Kuroko handed over the papers, and the teacher scanned over. "It seems good, but are you sure you're ready for this?" Tilting his head to the side, he had a thought of confusion. "Just days ago did you win the tournament for you club, one of your teammates left to America and now your suddenly leaving. Have you even informed your coach and adviser?"

'Leaving!?' Furihata clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from blurting out the word.

"I told my advisor for the club, but everyone else: no." Kuroko's voice wavered a bit on the last word.

The teacher looked up at his student with concern. "Kuroko, I believe this is a great opportunity, and it's definitely not given easily to students. And for you to get this chance…" He lapsed briefly to shake his head, and ran a hand through his hair. "What I'm trying to say is that I want you to be sure this choice is yours, and you truly believe this is what you want. Because… you could cost a friendship or two if you're not careful."

Kuroko stared down at the floor. "I know…" His voice was soft and brittle. He met his teacher's gaze in an effort to reassure him, lips pressed together in what was assumed to be determination.

The teacher already had tears in his eyes. Moving his lips upward, he forced a sweet, pained smile.

"But I'm ready, thank you for being concerned," Kuroko finished.

"Hey!" The teacher's sudden exclamation put the converaation on pause as he sat up and stared at the door. "Who left the door open? Students could be eavesdropping if we're not careful."

* * *

During practice…

"Okay everyone! Line up!" A whistle blew and echoed off the gym's walls. "Okay, let's start with our usual warm ups." Another whistle was sounded, and everyone stared their training.

"Kuroko, want to team up?" Kuroko looked behind him, and stared at his fellow freshmen, Furihata. Giving a small and friendly nod, he quickly joined Furihata as they got in position. They made small talk as they stretched their legs.

"How's Furihata-kun been?"

"Fine, though it's still hard to believe we won Winter Cup."

"Why?"

"Eh?" Furihata looked up into those blue eyes of abyss.

"Why is it hard to believe," Kuroko persisted.

"Eh, well… Rakuzan has not only a member of the generation of miracles, but three uncrowned kings and someone with a presence similar to Kuroko's."

A sweet sound reached Furihata's ears, as a soft chuckle escaped Kuroko's lips. "They were pretty tough huh? I believed that we could win though."

"Gyah! Nigou stay away!" Looking away from the conversation, they could see a red head screaming and running away from a bundle of black and white.

"And here I thought he got used to Nigou already," Furihata mused. He watched as Kagami ran, but he felt a taunting feeling and sneaked a glance at his friend. Kuroko's face shone with happiness, and Furhihata couldn't dismiss the ephemeral feeling he couldn't quite grasp.

"Kuroko…"

"Yes?"

"I-"

"Everyone, stretching is over, time to jog!"

"Eh?" Furihata looked around as everyone started to get up, and realized that he might lose his chance to ask Kuroko. "Wait, Kuroko!" Reaching over and tugging Kuroko's shoulder, he stopped him in his tracks. Riko looked at the two, for they weren't joining the group.

"Oi, you two, what are you do-"

Kuroko cleared his throat before delivering the statement that would leave his companion speechless. "Yes, Furihata-kun… I'm leaving Seirin."

_A new beginning will start, for Kuroko's role as Seirin's shadow has finished. Instead, he'll become a mirror, the mirror that will reflect its sky and help it become ever more willful._

* * *

**Made2352: Hello guys, thanks for giving this read a chance and hope you will enjoy this story. Now, if you're not really cleared about the story and what it is about, Kuroko is transferring to an Academy. His reasons why and everyone's thoughts about this subject will be revealed in the next chapter. This is the prologue, if you don't understand by the time the next chapter is set-than we'll explain it then. Thanks for reading and hope for more. Please review, favorite and follow, and swing by our individual profiles, just type our names or you can click the links on Hirari Haru profile.**

**EternalWaltz: Hey guys, thanks for checking this out. In case you guys were wondering our roles in this collaboration, the wondeful Made2352 writes the story -pauses for a round of cyber applause-, and I co-brainstorm/edit. We're having a great time, so we hope you can enjoy this as much as we've been.**


	2. Chapter 1

_The Willful Sky_

_Summary: By reflecting a visible light, an image can be seen in the mirror. After a twist of fate, Kuroko meets a basketball team highly in group play. In order to convey their passion to the rest of Japan, Kuroko makes it his duty to polish their individual talents, and produce results more brilliant than anyone could've imagined. (Male OCs)_

**Disclaimer: This fan-fiction was set on the shared accounts Hirari Haru of EternalWaltz and Made2352. We do not own Kuroko no Basuke, just this fic. Along with any characters involved. There are spoilers included into this story and OC's (Original Characters) later in the story will appear.**

**Warning: There will be spoilers from the Kuroko no Basuke/ Basket Series.**

Chapter 1

* * *

The jitter-jatters of tumbled up laughs, arguments and conversations were gone in a flash... with just 5 words. The once ebullient presence was robbed, but that was nothing compared to the sheer looks that they waved off. Clear confrontation expressed in every wrinkle, with many feelings followed: sadness, fear, astonishment, anger, anticipation and questioning. It was like a trick of the eyes, that such an elated and jaunty attitude became... this.

"Ku-kuroko, what are you talking about?" Finally someone spoke out, snapping everyone out of their inner turmoil, thanks to Izuki.

With that said, everyone turned to Kuroko, waiting for his answer. Though, instead of speaking out, he took a moment. Looking deep and sincerely into each of those confused pupils, he felt himself wishing that his many years of training and observation wouldn't show what he saw before him. Kuroko could read them like an open book, and he never felt such a heavy weight on his heart. It was suffocating, but he knew it was coming.

With no answer escaping Kuroko's lips, they turned toward Furihata, looking for answers. Furihata could feel the tension and the stares given by his fellow teammates. He gulped, before finally saying something. "Co-could it be... the program?"

"Program?" Riko asked.

Then Hyuuga had a thought, "Could it be... the 'N.W.E.P'?"

"Eh, you heard of it?" Koganei said.

Hyuuga bit his lower lip. "Maa, I heard some of the students and teachers talk about it. Its full name is New Would Exchange Program. It's a program where students are randomly selected around Japan and transferred to a different part of Japan from their own. Students can get a chance to learn more about their ways of living compared to your own."

For a moment everyone in the room recoiled, contemplating the program in astonishment.

"And, from that said, we can guess, that Kuroko was chosen?" Izuki's blunt question echoed crisply in the echoes of the eerily quiet gym and in the recesses of Kuroko's heart.

Kuroko paused to take an inaudible breath, deeply inhaling as his hands stilled at his sides. "You're correct." They others swiveled around at the sound of his affirmation. "It's a rare chance," he continued, pausing to collect his thoughts. "It's not something anyone is given, especially if it's by lottery." Kuroko stared down at his sneakers, and watching as his sneaker scraped against the wooden floor. "I know this might be a bit selfish, but I want to try it." Kuroko clenched his hands into resolved fists, his fingers digging into the palm of his hand. "Please let me." Than he quickly gave a bow, never leaving his position, waiting for his teammates answer. Kuroko's heart was thumping; he could feel the thumps inside his brain, as everything around him was silent. Then... he felt it.

A hand grasped out, shocking Kuroko as a hand laid upon his bowing head. A brief shock of recognition and then relief hit him when it was suddenly ruffled, light blue strands tickling the nape of his neck.

"BA~KA~ There's nothing wrong with that." Kuroko slowly lifted his head up, and stared up at his partner, his hopeful glance carefully guarded as he tried to read Kagami's expression.

He then felt startled when a gigantic amount of sighs escaped from everyone.

"Man, I thought I was going to have a heart attack." "Mitobe says he agrees."

"Seriously Kuroko, tell us this sooner, we don't want to be caught by surprise again." Izuki chimed in.

Kuroko just stared, following them as they all had a self-relief, some ever sliding to the floor. Than he felt the grip on his head tighten, he looked up at his light.

"Tell me first next time, I'm your light aren't I?" Kagami felt pink tinting his cheeks a bit out of embarrassment.

Kuroko returned everyone one a smile. "Arigato... everyone."

* * *

Later than evening...

"Though it's going to be quite lonely without you Kuroko, saying goodbye to my cute Kouhai." Izuki joked, as he tussled the sky blue locks a bit.

"I'm not cute." Kuroko deadpanned, causing more smiles to erupt.

"But remember Kuroko, you're always one of us, no matter where you go." Riko finished off, fixing him with a fond gaze. 'Thanks... everyone.' Kuroko thought silently.

"Ah, but did you tell the Kiseki yet," someone piped in.

"Ah... not yet," Kuroko trailed off, glancing at his shoes. "Actually I was planning on telling them later tonight, for Akash's "Reform" party. Akashi's new personality at the game really brought us Kiseki to joy, and I guess we're celebrating it. It was more Momoi-san and Kise-kun's idea, but I think it would be a good chance to tell them."

"Where is it," one of the freshmen asked.

An slight smile swept across Kuroko's face. "We're meeting up at place Momoi chooses, Maji Burger."

Hyuuga was about to retort, before Riko gave him a quick kick in the shin. After all, he had just been thinking something along the lines of: "Ah, what that place... could they not afford anything?"

Kuroko coughed as he pretended to ignore the discrepancy and continued. "All of us live pretty far from each other, but around this time, because of Winter Cup, everyone gathered. We're supposed to meet around 8, though I might run a bit late, its fine as long as I get to tell them."

They all nodded, till Hyuuga brought something up. "Then why not just leave now? Knowing the Kiseki, something troublesome will happen if their peace maker isn't there, so you should have your last moments with them. Before saying goodbye."

Everyone smiled. "Oh, quite wise words Hyuuga," said one of the freshman without a hint of sarcasm.

"If that's alright..." He looked towards Riko, who gave an approving nod. "Then I'll be going." Kuroko changed, and left the locker room.

"Are you sure it's alright?" Satoshi asked. "Why not, we will be there when he says goodbye, but for the Kiseki..." Everyone's face felt troubled, when Kuroko gives the news. "That's right... for the Kiseki; they're not used to situations like this."

Maji Burger was only a block or two away; from Seirin it would take 5-7 minutes if you ran, and 10 if you walked. Kuroko had finally made it out of the school gate. As he walked, he would try to rearrange the cuffs of the blue-tailored cuffs of his black school uniform, and he fiddled with the buttons on the garment. Kuroko took small strides, with walked a normal pace, and deep thoughts in mind.

'I told them.'

The weight that had been buried on top of Kuroko's chest had been relieved by a small portion, but there still remained an undeniable, overbearing weight. deep inside, Kuroko knew that Seirin would understand his feelings, and that something like this wouldn't stop them from hanging out or keeping in touch.

'We still keep in contact with Kiyoshi-senpai, so we shouldn't have a problem there. Though it's a little sad I'm leaving soon after Kiyoshi-senpai went to America.' Kuroko's internal musings drifted into the stale evening air with a prolonged sigh.

'The real heart breaker will be telling them, the Kiseki to be exact, along with Momoi-san. Though, I'm pretty sure Momoi-san would understand.' He already had to go through a long trial just to prove them that basketball can be fun once again, and as said, it was proven only four days ago at the finals of Winter Cup. It was a difficult match, and very grueling, and there was even a time when it felt like hope had been lost. However...

'We're not like that, and it was thanks to everyone that we grew stronger, and everything is better.'

He stopped in his steps, as he waited for the train to pass by. His eyes reflected back the quick movements of the train. Looking up at the cloudless sky, where the stars would shine out. "I will," he clenched his chest, "have no regrets, and just keep going forward." Then, seeing as how the train had already passed, he silently proceeded.

Yet, despite his self-reassurances, Kuroko knew that there still remained one inevitable question. Would history repeat itself? Would his friends understand?

* * *

As he entered the fast food joint, he was hit by the cozy warmness of the restaurant that totally beat the cold weather of a January night, along with the smell of grilled or fried foods wafting over from the kitchen. He looked around the place, taking note that the place wasn't too crowded, but still enough to make the place bustle. Those cerulean eyes finally caught sight of a group of rainbow colored hair, stationed in the back seats. He smiled, as he saw all of the colors he needed to see, red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and pink.

Kuroko didn't rush over to greet them, he instead chose to watch their interaction with one another. It seemed that Midorima was lecturing a bored looking Murasakibara, who only replied with whines to Akashi. Guessing by Kise's expression and movements, he must be talking about the large order of burgers being consumed by Aomine, along with a scolding from Momoi.

To others around, he could see the odd looks the group was given, along with a few swoons and sighs from guys or girls; the main cause of the sighs and swoons were probably Momoi or Kise, maybe some for Akashi. The odd looks would either be Murasakibara's height, Midorima's lucky item which is a giant stuff animal that could fit a seat, the stack of food consumed by Aomine or possibly all of them together with their different kinds of hair and different persona. Yes, they were strange indeed; just wait till Kuroko is added into the mix. Although there were looks from all around, with probably questions about their friendship, being that they're arguing.

Kuroko found this absolutely perfect.

Their arguments and fights were really another show of affection. Then, he felt it, a clutching grasp. 'There it is again.' Kuroko thought, reaching up to the left of his chest, or to be exact, over his heart. Seeing their interaction, Kuroko felt a pain clutch his heart, sadness and guilt filling it up to the brim. He had to stare away, so he quickly looked down at the tips of his shoes and tiled floor. Taking a deep breath, he took a glance back to the sight in front of him.

Only the next second later, the redhead of the group turned his head away, and instead locked eyes with Kuroko. They just stared at each other for a while, as if trying to read each other's feelings at that instant, but that train of thought was broken when Akashi beckoned him over with a smile. Kuroko blinked at this gesture, a little taken back, but... 'It isn't necessarily a bad thing.' Kuroko smiled, and walked over. 'I guess I'll worry about it, after I make our last moments memorable.'

"Hello, Tetsuya." Akashi said out loud, which quickly grabbed the arguing group's attention. They all turned towards the direction stared at; it took them a second or two, to finally notice Kuroko's outline.

A smile quickly spread on Kise and Momoi's face, as they internally cheered for his arrival. (Nobody noticed that in the immediate periphery a group of squealing girls and heart struck guys were having a meltdown.)

"Kurokocchi~ your here!" Kise quickly moved a seat down, to make sure Kuroko sits right next to him.

"Eh, no fair Ki-chan, I want to sit next to Tetsu-kun~" Momoi pouted.

"Good afternoon, Momoi-san." All negative feelings were left in a second, as she grabbed Kuroko into a suffocating hug.

"Tetsu-kun~ I'm glad you're here."

"Ah, Momoi-san, I can't breathe." He mumbled out, because his face was smothered in Momoi's... ample chest. And as said before, nobody in the group practically paid mind to the guys seething venom towards the "ghost boy" that appeared out of nowhere, especially with Kuroko's stoic face.

"Momoi, you're crushing Kuroko," Midorima reprimanded, sighing at the sight before him.

"I hope Kuro-chin doesn't die of suffocation." Murasakibara's passing comment seemed to bring Momoi back to her senses.

She quickly let go of Kuroko. "Gomen, Tetsu-kun."

Kuroko straightened himself. "Its fine, Momoi-san." He gave her a smile.

"Satsuki, your breast keeps suffocating Tetsu," Aomine mumbled half-heartily.

"DAI-CHAN!" Momoi blushed in embarrassment.

"Humph, such vulgar thoughts." Midorima scolded, glasses reflecting off light.

"Wah! What did I do?!"Aomine's retort was ignored.

"You're terrible Aominecchi."

"Shut up Kise!"

"This shouldn't come as a surprise, knowing Daiki's... interest," Akashi fluently mediated.

Everyone quickly eyed Aomine, who couldn't help but feel flustered in embarrassment. "Ah, forget it. Let's talking about something else, like someone does an act or something," Aomine hummed idly, leaning back in his chair.

"What tricks can everyone do?" Murasakibara asked, before he chewed on his french fries.

But before anyone could open their mouths, Momoi then said, "Don't do something we know you can do already. We already did that in the Kuroko no Basuke Extra: Tricks."

"Ah, I wasn't in that." Murasakibara mumbled, only mildly ruffled by it.

"Same here." Akashi agreed.

"Then, would you like me to show you a magic trick?" Kuroko suddenly suggested.

"Eh, Kurokocchi can do that too?"

"Tetsuya probably learned a few tricks back when he started misdirection," Akashi noted.

"Oh~" Some of them said.

"Then, show us something Tetsu-kun."

"Yeah, I'm excited," Kise added.

"It beats me getting bullied by everyone." Aomine's miffed grunt didn't go unnoticed.

"But that was your fault Mine-chin."

"Doing such childish acts, you should as well do them since there a certain people who want you to see it." Akashi cleared his throat. "Show what you can do Tetsuya."

Kuroko nodded. Thank goodness Kuroko could keep a straight face, because he was currently suppressing a smile from the sheer childish looks of curiosity from everyone. 'Like little kids,' he mused.

Kuroko then showed a red sponge ball from his hand. As everyone watched, Kuroko's next action was to move it to the other hand. With a soft blow from the magician, the ball then disappeared. But he wasn't done, and with a succession of slight movements, the hand that was supposed to be enclosed with the red ball was empty- it actually appeared in the other hand. And when he clasped both hands together, two red balls appeared instead of one.

"Amazing Tetsu-kun~" Momoi clapped her hands, along with Kise, Murasakibara and Aomine.

"How did you do that Kurochin?"

"A magician never reveals his secret," he joked.

"Tetsuya let me give it a try." Akashi requested.

When Kuroko handed over the two red sponge balls, Akashi was able to replicate what he saw.

"Akashicchi can do it too!" The blond said, looking amazed.

"When I was younger, I had my share of magic tricks." Akashi smiled curtly.

"But I'm a little disappointed." Aomine suddenly said.

"Yeah, I was really thinking Tetsu-kun only knew how to do it." Momoi mumbled, the slightest bit dejected.

A slight audible cough caused everyone to redirect their eyes to Kuroko.

"Akashi-kun..," he inquired in a lilting tone. Lifting up his right hand, the group stared at the hanging golden watch in Kuroko's hand. "Is this yours?"

They all stared down at Akashi's wrist, which, sure enough, was absent of his watch.

Kuroko smirked, "Do you want more tricks?"

After so, everything kind of fell in place, and everyone was truthfully having fun. Some tried to do the magic attempts, only to fail, and then they would show off any other trick they could do.

After some time, however, the group began to tire. "I think it's time for me to go back to the hotel." Kise said. He stretched his limbs, which felt awkward after having been in a sitting position for so long. A wave of mutual agreement swept over the others, but before anyone else could move from their spots, Kuroko decided that this would be the moment.

"Aomine-kun, Kise-kun, Momoi-san, Murasakibara-kun, Midorima-kun, and Akashi-kun..." A soft voice called them, and they all stared at its general direction. Kuroko's eyes were overshadowed by his hair, as he stared down at his lap. They all glanced at each other for a second, seeing if anyone knew what was happening- that is, with the exception of Akashi, who simply fixed Kuroko with a piercing stare.

"I'm..." He finally looked up. "...leaving."

* * *

**Made2352: Sorry it took us so long to update, you can probably blame me for that, since I'm the writer. Though, don't think I forgot this fic. If anything, I and EternalWaltz are constantly thinking about it. Every day we talk about how to improve the plot, or things that we should change. We also decided that, when it comes to childhood flashbacks, EternalWaltz would write those, because 1. I don't want her to just edit, I feel like she should be even deeper in this, plus, when she write, you get a better appeal of feelings from her works. We will tell you when EternalWaltz writes anything in a chapter, so you can see which her works are. Not only that, we have something exciting in store for you guys, but we will reveal that later, when the time is right. Anyway, thanks for reading, please review, fav. and follow. If you already did, than please continue to support us. Because without you guys, then we wouldn't have the passion we have for this fic.**

**EternalWaltz: Hey, everyone. As made2353 mentioned, we are working tirelessly to get the nuances of this fic polished for you readers. I too am very excited for some of the events coming up in future chapters, and we hope that you choose to stick around for the surprise coming up. You guys motivate us, and thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 2

_The Willful Sky_

_Summary: By reflecting a visible light, an image can be seen in the mirror. After a twist of fate, Kuroko meets a basketball team highly in group play. In order to convey their passion to the rest of Japan, Kuroko makes it his duty to polish their individual talents, and produce results more brilliant than anyone could've imagined. (Male OCs)_

**Disclaimer: This fan-fiction was set on the shared accounts Hirari Haru of Made2352 and EternalWaltz. We do not own Kuroko no Basuke, just this fic. Along with any characters involved. There are spoilers included into this story and OC's (Original Characters) later in the story will appear.**

**Warning: There will be spoilers from the Kuroko no Basuke/ Basket Series.**

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Chapter 2

The connected carts glided down the tracks, keeping a steady beat of the wheel's tussle. The bustling bodies and overcrowded carts were inaudible; only a shushed whisper of the wind infiltrated the vacant carts. In one of the mid-carts, with only a few inside, people were languid as if either deep in thought or in a dream state of silence; there was occasional snoring. Seated upon one of many unoccupied seats, a spot two away from an exit, was a male. He had a broad build, but because of his size, he had a small stature; you wouldn't have noticed such a detail because of the navy blue button up hugging his body.

Like others, he was seated in silence, with the occasional shifting in his seat; as time went by, so did his occasional sighing. Sighs... why did he sigh? Was it for the two shades of grey that clashed at the horizon, but were cut off by an unseen line before mixing? Peering through the icy floral texture of the glass window, his eyes laid upon the clashing waves of the slate grey sea- the ash of the sky, light still barely a burn, peeked through the cracks. Or was the cause of his sighs the unorthodox silence encasing him? ...His own plain, to escape from the boisterous world he'd taken residence on since birth.

The male would make occasional glances, avoiding the eyes of those around. (Not that they would take note of his actions anyway.) At times he would just stare down at his black shoes, watching the soles of his feet scrape the metallic floor of the train, or scuff the other shoe when slid upon one another. Traveling up his jeans with a matching shade of the charcoal on his feet, his next stop, heading all his attention, was the hem of his white shirt, being tinkered by his gloved hands. Truth be told, his started to drift into the deeper parts of his mind; flashes of recent events started playing out like a movie. Then he flinched, startled by a repeated silvery tone in his back pocket. He quickly scrabbled for his phone; people took note and swished their heads around in search for the mysterious sound. Once open, the sound ceased; another content sigh escaped his lips.

His cerulean eyes reflected the characters punched into his phone, a glow nearly filled those depressant eyes- almost. He felt pleased once he took note of the sender, whose message was similar to others that flooded his inbox. "Good luck, we'll miss you." or "Don't hide stuff like that again. We're team mates." Something drawn between those lines. He scanned through each message, a content feeling displayed for each message read, till...

He didn't necessarily frown, but he felt obligated to the feelings he'd been having until now. The sender was all too familiar, more so than those who send messages of encouragement. He scanned the first message, belonging to a blonde who brought smiles when things would become too intense- who could change the atmosphere with a possible word, look or action. He was a beloved blonde-the majority of his audience being female, though their love was feigned, artificial, contrived. What else could you expect? He's a model, and his performance was based solely on his looks. Sure, his fans may have been swayed and wooed by 'personality', and likes and dislikes; however, they'll never know the real, true Kise.

Kuroko breathed in and clicked the message, not sure what to expect.

_**"How cruel Kuroko-cchi~ you told Seirin before us~｡･ﾟ(ﾟ⊃ω⊂ﾟ)ﾟ･｡ **__**HIDOII!"**__ A ghostly smile rested upon the phantom's face._

_**"Nee, this place better be worth it... ( **__**ｰ**__**̀ε**__**ｰ**__**́ ) because Kuroko-cchi went as far as to tell me last." **__'What happened to the 'us' Kise-kun?' The smile only grew more than before._

_"__**Your teammates are lucky-ssu, they get to play with Kuroko-cchi. (-**__**Д-**__**) Che!" **The__ ghostly smile became noticeable, though it was small, it radiated content._

_**"I'm... quite jealous."**__ 'Eh?'_

_**"They better treat you well Kuroko-cchi, or I won't forgive them."**_

_**"Hope you make good memories Kuroko-cchi." **_

"Kise-kun." Kuroko let his voice escape, but all it was... was a soft whisper.

"We'll be arriving in Yamagata in 5 minutes." Kuroko snapped out of his trance, and finally stared around him. Kuroko heaved a sigh, and started to recollect his things. Kuroko looked down at his phone, and without a second to waste, typed up his own message; with a final beep, the correspondence was delivered.

"Stop, Yamagata. Stop, Yamagata."

The metallic doors finally opened, passengers scurrying out in hoards. Chills ran down Kuroko's spine, making the hairs on his body stand. If it wasn't for the clothes wrapped tightly around his body, he would've been shaking and shivering. In an instant, he was exposed to cold air. The train platform (not sheltered by the station's roof) was marked with traces of foot prints in the snow, a variety of print patters, and occasional dirt stained white. Finally having arrived, with the trains' door closing behind him, he looked around, taking in his surroundings. After a long trip, he was finally able to stretch out his body and mind, apart from the confinements of moving boxes and people. Snow had continued to descend from the dark grey clouds, clinging to his clothes and hair, and melting once it met skin. His breath became apparent, hot air meeting cold, making something invisible, visible- it was a visual sign of the drop in temperature. He looked around the station, noticing that though the prints were still shallow despite the constant falling of snow.

"Time..." Kuroko muttered, looking up at the station's clock; the clock struck one. "I should start going if I don't want to be buried with snow." Kuroko scurried for his things, and dragged himself out of the station.

After looking up the bus schedule, and waiting for its arrival, Kuroko had found himself a cozy seat near the front. He gave the address to the bus driver to help navigate the closest stop to his uncle's area. To distract himself from boredom, Kuroko decided to look back at his unread messages to see that a new one had popped up. 'Midorima-kun?'

_**"Kuroko, it's constantly going to snow where you are." **__'Obviously...'_

_**"Kise and Momoi won't stop their persistent worrying over your health, I decided to issue you a warning to stop their concerns."**__ 'Are you sure it isn't you who is worried?'_

_**"Onsens are the best during bad weather; constantly consume warm food and drinks, and avoid staying out for long hours."**__ 'What a tsundere.' Kuroko's ghostly smile returned._

_***Ding***__ 'A follow up text...?'_

_**"Oha Asa says the color white and hand moisturizer." **_

"We're almost at the stop." The driver motioned toward him. Kuroko gave a quick nod and, like with Kise, quickly entered in his own reply. The bus halted, and with a quick thank you, Kuroko exited off the bus, and was now in his uncle's neighborhood.

After many wrong turns, dead ends, and asking strangers for directions, Kuroko finally found the house. Its general structure was like any other house in the neighborhood- a simple, two story family-friendly house. Kuroko checked over the name plate, to see if this was the correct house the nice old lady pointed him to as his uncle's. "Kuroko Residents." Tetsuya mumbled. He gave one more look at the house, before walking up to the steps, and ringing the doorbell. 'Time to meet the family.' He gulped.

* * *

"Hmm~ hmm hmmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~ " A soft hum pervaded the kitchen, along with the muted click of chopping and fervent bubbling of water. The melody had a soothing effect on the soloist, allowing her to relax into an easy rhythm. Her body was lax, carefully preparing the food. A woman in her mid-thirties was preparing dinner for tonight; though it was actually a bit early to prepare for dinner, the woman wanted to make extra for a special arrival. Stopping mid-chop, she rushed over to the pot, opening the cover as hot steam appeared. She started to add some ingredients into the food, along with a good stir. She tucked a strand of her brown hair that has gotten lose from her lazy tying; if she released her hair, it would reach a little above mid-back.

*Ring* All movements stopped, as her focus was now to the front door. "Could that be Tetsuya?" She peeked her head out of the kitchen's entrance. Before she could program the thought of opening the door, rattling and fast paced thumping from the stairs beat her to it. With a final step, someone had finally arrived at the first floor, with a big thump like a finale.

"I've got it." A cheery voice ringed, complimenting her ardent attitude. The girl rushed over to the door, almost sliding across the floor.

"Minami, careful. You could slip."

"I'm fine Mom." She hadn't heeded a single thing her mom had said. "I hope its Tetsuya-kun, I haven't seen him in ages. He rarely visits." With that said, she grabbed the handle, and flung the door open- her brown eyes meeting nothing.

Kuroko almost forgot to breathe, as he felt himself slip on the ice under him. He'd been startled from the sudden appearance of his cousin, Minami. After ringing the doorbell, only a second passed before someone had opened the door, and hovered their face only inches from his. Kuroko quickly recovered, schooling a face full of surprise to his trademark deadpan expression. He blinked a bit- usually he's doing the startling, not the other way around. 'Note, pay back.'

"Helo-

*SLAM*

"Who was it?" The mother smiled, beckoning her daughter to sample some of her food.

"There was no one there, did someone dingdong ditch us?" She grabbed the plastic spoon in her mother's hand, and stuffed the food in her mouth. "It's delicious!" She said, reaching over to sample some more food.

*Ring*

"Again?" Minami grumbled, upset that something got in her way of eating more of her mother's food. She grabbed the handle of the door again, only to open it with more force. "You brat-"

"Hello."

"GYAHH!" Falling on her bottom, Minami cursed at the person who startled her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." A pale hand appeared before Minami.

She stared at it as if foreign, and her eyes lingered up the offered arm. Her eyes finally met cerulean orbs, a sense of nostalgia hitting her. "Tetsuya-kun!" The teen said surprised, processing the person before her. With a soft smile, Kuroko grabbed Minami's hand, and pulled her up.

"You startled me Tetsuya-kun!" She pouted. 'Payback served.'

"Well, Minami-san is the one who slammed the door on my face." 'Crap that was him!' "Also I don't ever recall ever acting like a brat since we last met." A laugh erupted from the mother, who found amusement to their argument.

"Tetsuya is still the same as before. Straight-forward and to the point." Kuroko turned, and smiled at the person before him. He recognized the chocolate and russet hair that fell on the light side, and chocolate colored eyes that were almost black. She was slim, and to Kuroko, since he last visited, it was like she had never aged. A sense of warmth spread around him, as his aunt reminded him of his mother. She wore a soft yellow, long sleeve button up, and a long skirt. Over it was a pink apron; her hair was tied and put to the side of her chest. "Do you remember me Tetsuya?"

Before his lips could utter another word, someone, i.e. Minami, had already stolen the spot light. "What about me Tetsuya?!" When Kuroko was younger, he remembered seeing his aunt Ayu when she was a young teen, and Minami could fit the bill. The shape of her nose, heart shaped lips, skin like a porcelain doll, long, silky straight hair- which would pass smoothly if you glided your hand through it- and typical bangs that covered her forehead were all reminiscient of his dear aunt. The only difference was the color of her hair and eyes, which she inherited from her father- coal black for both features, with hints of grey reflected in her irises. A pink turtle neck hugged her upper body, and she donned matching khaki long pants.

He gave a soft smile, nodding his head to their question, which brought smiles upon their face.

"Anata, Tetsuya is here." Ayu smiled in glee. Only half a minute later, a middle-aged man appeared before them.

"Uncle..." Kuroko smiled, walking over to his uncle.

"Tetsuya~" The man did a one over with Kuroko, scanning him up and down. "Wow, you've grown. Last time I've seen you, you were about to my stomach."

Kuroko felt a deadpan expression come out. 'Last time I saw uncle was when I was 12-13... About 3-4 years ago. But I've only reached uncle's chest.'

"Ha-ha, take that as a compliment Tetsuya, don't sulk~."

'I'm not sulking'- though clearly, he was.

"Still cute as ever." He grinned. The shorter of the two felt warmth upon his head, flinching once his hair started to be tussled. Kuroko peeked up at his uncle, scanning him up and down. Minako did indeed inherit her hair and eye color from his uncle. Kuroko may have thought his uncle's eyes were coal black, but looking at it now, he almost felt as if it was an onyx. Kuroko's uncle hasn't changed much since he last saw him; he was still skinny and lanky. His hair was short, but the ends had been trimmed. The man wore thin silver-rimmed glasses, and his number one unforgettable feature had stayed-the bit of facial hair on his chin. Kuroko compared his uncle to his father, in relation to their looks and personality. Now as adults, they look nothing alike, but he remembered an old photo in his house that was labeled, "Yoshizora and his Nii-san~" There, they had looked almost identical. The uncle could feel Kuroko's stare, and that just brightened his smile. "You've become a fine young man."

They exchanged stares again, before a smile was returned. 'Not yet... Uncle, but soon... I will...'

Soon after, his uncle had led him upstairs to the room he was staying, he was allowed to settle in. There was a closet, a desk, a bed, and a small TV. It wasn't much, but Kuroko didn't care, because he was only staying a few days before moving into the academy. However, Kuroko felt pleased when he spotted a window next to the desk. He took in his new surroundings reverently as he processed his journey so far. He shuffled himself across the dark wooden boards, and plopped himself down on the bed. The fabric was smooth and soft to the touch; it was a dark, luscious color of navy blue. Kuroko breathed in the bed's scent. 'It's fresh.'

He laid there, staring at the ceiling, and heaved a heavy sigh.

_**January 27, 2:26 p.m. Kuroko residents, arrived.**_

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"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to bump into y- huh?"

"What wrong Shuujin?" A couple stopped walking, as the boyfriend looked back and around in confusion.

"That's strange, for sure I bumped into someone. But no one was there."

"Stop joking, that sounds really creepy."

"But it's true, was it my imagination?" The couple continued walking forward, the girl brushing off the event, as the boy kept looking around in confusion.

Kuroko had left his relatives house that evening, and was able to find his way into town. He got directions from his uncle to where the shopping district was located. Kuroko didn't have a particular thing he was looking for; he just felt like browsing around the city in the hopes of finding something that might catch his eye. People were bustling around him, scurrying to their set location. Kuroko passed business buildings, small shops, company buildings, etc. He took a glance at the handwritten map from his uncle's to the district. He was getting close.

The snow has settled itself for now, and all that was left was dark grey clouds hanging in the sky. The temperature didn't change, so everyone was still bundled up, trying to keep warm. Coats and jackets wrapped around them like a blanket, trapping heat in. Scarves wrapped around peoples' necks, some with faces half buried in them. Gloves kept sensitive fingers warm, so that no frost bite would nip at them. Many who had umbrellas kept them to their sides, no longer having use for them. Kuroko watched as many people took shelter in warm cafés or restaurants, warming themselves up with hot food and drinks.

"Oh, sorry about that, oh... no one's there." An eye twitched. 'Maybe I'm getting too used to this?' Counting that to be the fifth person today.

After a few turns, Kuroko found himself in the shopping district. It wasn't as extravagant as Tokyo, but it sure felt like it. Though there was a variety of shops everywhere, it was distinct to its location; specific types of shops clustered together. Clothes shops were located near other clothes shops, and furniture or appliance stores were all located near one another. Kuroko took a stroll around, carefully scanning each shop's name and design before taking a peek through the window to what it had to offer.

He found himself near a section of the district where it ranged of a little of everything. There was the easy to carry furniture or appliances, simple men and women clothing, and candy or toy stores for kids. Electronics clustered near one another, and even antiques has their own cozy corner. To Kuroko, he felt indulged, feeling for sure something might pique his interest.

Kuroko wasn't wrong about finding interesting things; many did interest him, but he did not indulge himself by buying them. It was still entertaining nonetheless.

*Shuffle-Shuffle*

There was the loud, constant movement of bags, sloughing and scraping against one another; things fell to the floor, causing many others to turn their heads towards the noise. One such curious passerby was Kuroko. During that time he'd already walked into the store, and heard the shuffling from the general direction of the candy section.

It wasn't hard to see where the noise's origin was. Right in the middle of the lane was a teenager- plenty of inches taller than Kuroko- scurrying through a giant cart of Konpeito. He watched as the male continued to dig deeper into the cart, a couple of bags of Konpeito falling to the floor.

'Now isn't this interesting...' Tilting his head in confusion, he edged himself closer to the troubled teen.

A frustrated growl escaped the stranger's lips, as he mumbled and grumbled to himself about limited edition candy.

'Limited edition?' Kuroko inquired looking from the teen to the candy.

It's been over half an hour for the teen; he had so far been to 5 stores, and cart surfed each of them. This was the last store in the area that he hasn't checked, and he prayed to himself that the last cart he was scavenging through had the limited edition version of his sugary addiction. He reached the bottom of the cart, and found no sign of his candy. He felt tired, and was on the verge of giving up.

'This is the last cart, and so far, I haven't found anything... should I give up?' He sighed, and concluded that this store had also ran out of the limited edition Konpeito. He heaved himself out of Konpeito filled cart, starting to fill the gap he'd made with the pile of Konpeito he'd created in the process. Then, he went around picking up any Konpeito that had fallen.

"Here."

"Eh?" The teen stopped as he'd been just about to reach for another bag of Konpeito on the ground. He slowly started to look up- his eyes surveying a leg, then a body, before the sudden appearance of a male. He had a blank expression, completely dead-pan. It looked like half of his body was inside the cart, but clasped in his outstretched arm was the bag of Konpeito he was looking for.

The two just stared at each other- one was shocked, confused, and elated. The other just waited for the person to process things and take the candy from him.

"Thank you." The teen said, finally taking the candy. The confused teen looked over the new arrival curiously , shocked how he hasn't noticed his presence before. The teen looked at Kuroko's condition; half of his body was literally in the cart. He was deep enough that his feet was dangling. A chuckle escaped; he felt like laughing when he saw Kuroko tilt his head in confusion.

"Ha-ha, let me help you out of the cart."

"That won't be necessary-!" Kuroko was about to make a quick protest, before he felt arms wrap about his waist, and he was suddenly heaved out of the cart.

Another chuckle escaped the teen's lips, looking over Kuroko's state. His head was extremely messy, like bad bed hair, and his clothes were dissembled. "You're really light." He mumbled out, but Kuroko clearly had heard it and quickly requested to be put down. His patience was beginning to wear. The two started to arrange their hair and clothing, trying to look presentable.

Kuroko finally took notice to the teen's appearance; he was taken back a bit from the guy's looks. He had coal black spikey hair and eyes of gold, which shone like glass- gems, even. Aside from his rare eye color, his body was also a combination of lean and well-muscled, nothing compared to Kuroko's physique. He wore a dark brown coat that relaxed on his body, black jeans that hugged his waist, and a rosewood red t-shirt that was loose on him. Silver chains hung from his neck, but they were covered by a red scarf. All in all, he was an extremely attractive person that could win the hearts of ladies without even giving them a side glance. 'He's even more handsome that Kise-kun.' **(Wah~! Kuroko-chii. ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚)**

The guy had to stare down at the teen, Kuroko's height reaching only up to his nose. The male continued to leave an impression on him. He was anomalous, his attitude was deadpan and straightforward, apparent from his first encounter with the teen. He put himself out as almost gloomy, the way his face displayed no emotions, reactions, sentiment, and response- but that's not what his eyes read. His eyes were like deep orbs, an abyss of cerulean circled in them. It was flooded with emotions, and it took his breath away. He was urged to tussle the sky blue hair, the color of it nipped at his interest.

"Looks like you have your candy..." The teen blinked, before looking down at his right hand. He had completely forgot about the candy. "...good for you." Before he could say thank you, the boy walked away, and disappeared quickly around the corner.

Kuroko turned a corner, turning his back to the teen. But after one quick turn, he stumbled into a person. Kuroko struggled to keep his balance, but he was finally able to get two feet to the ground. "Sorry..." Kuroko turned his head around, looking at the person he just bumped into. He was a middle-aged man; his head was staring at the ground, and his back was hunched over. He wore an over-sized coat that reached about his knees and his hands were stuffed into his pockets. Kuroko observed that man, and an odd feeling hit him. The man didn't even turn to see who he bumped into, so his mind was onto something else. Kuroko could see he was slightly sweating, even though it was freezing outside. His eyes looked like swirls, as if he was nervous. Kuroko remembered seeing this man when he first walked into the store; he was in the same position as before. The man would just walk around and not particularly eye an object. If anything he kept his head down most of the time. The other odd thing is that the man would rarely let his hands out of his pockets. If anything, he noticed a sign. He would always bump into people, or head towards the section of the store with more people. "Thief!" Kuroko's attention was suddenly switched, his attention turned toward the store's entrance. There, a woman was pointing her pointer finger accusingly at someone Kuroko acquainted himself with only minutes before. 'Konpeito-kun?'

The handsome teen was taken by surprised from the statement, he was startled when he was yanked from his jacket's collar. "Hey punk, do you think you can go stealing people's things?!" A police officer screamed. Kuroko could see the teen being dragged by the collar, trying to explain he wasn't the criminal. The woman and officer only interrogated him, not believing a single word he said.

"Office-"

"Don't lie!" The woman spoke. "About 10 minutes ago, I looked into my bag to see my wallet inside, right before I was about to pay for my things. It was gone. And I remember seeing someone, meaning you, with the exact same jacket come in contact with me."

'But he was with me 10 minutes ago, looking for Konpeito.' Kuroko kept his thought to himself for the moment.

The gold-eyed teen was surprised by the woman's persistence. But he wasn't going to lose face, just because of a woman's baseless accusation. His composure wasn't broken; if anything he was completely calm to the situation, and that probably pissed the woman off even more.

The phantom's attention wandered the room. He peeked towards the man, blinking in shock at the smile of glee on the man's face. Everyone in the store either had a frown or a disappointed face. But this man... was smiling. 'This man...' The middle-aged man quickly wiped away his smile, turning the direction he just came from, and started to walk away while everyone's attention was toward the commotion. The man was now in the back, about to walk out through the back entrance.

"That's not right mister thief..." The man flinched quickly lifted his face up, but when he did, he already found his eyes meeting the ground.

"Huh- gyahh!"

"Officer, I was getting Konpeito for myself 10 minutes earlier. I was nowhere near where the lady claims she got her wallet stolen."

The woman scoffed. "You think I was born yesterday? No one else in this store was wearing that coat, and what teenager buys themselves Konpei-"

*CRASH!*

Suddenly everyone's attention was directed three aisles away. They quickly rushed towards the area, with the teen being dragged along with the officer. In front of the crowd was a man lying on the floor, with books, cushions, toys, etc. scattered around him.

"Wait, isn't that the woman's wallet?" Quickly everyone's eyes turned towards a purple wallet a few inches away from the thief.

"That's the thief, catch him!"

As the officer and some other people scattered towards the guy, the teen stood in his place, a sense of relief washing over him. The relieved teen's body was jerked backwards a bit as his right shoulder collided with something.

"Sorry." A voice murmured.

His golden eyes scanned behind him, but stopped himself, as no body, or presence was visible to his sight.

The sliding doors opened, as a sound of a chime signaled someone had just entered or left the store. The hairs on his neck stood up as he was exposed to cold air. His breath grew visible around him as he continue walking farther from the store, planning to return back to his uncle's home. White droplets started to fall from the grey skies, touching the earth along with people or objects around.

"It's snowing again."

"I should've brought my gloves."

"Time to be heading home, before it starts piling up."

He continued forward, letting the snow fall around him- nipping at his nose, sticking to his clothes and hair. He tried to keep warm, ignoring how his face felt frozen. Stone paths started turning white and unique shoe prints was starting to form, making the white stone no longer pristine. Sounds of bustling bodies, and shifting snow passed him, and the whine of sirens was music to his ears. "People should pay for their own crimes, Thief-san."

* * *

**Made2352: Wow... again did it take us a long time to update, totally my fault again, sorry. I'm trying to update regularly, it's just every time I write, I have to go through each paragraph and fix it to my liking. Because, I'm not satisfied to how it looks. It took me like 3 weeks, before I was finally satisfied with how this chapter was written, and that was only the redoing part. But, I hope it makes up for lost time, for how long this chapter is... hehe... Anyway, the cover picture doesn't belong to me... sort of... the art isn't mind, but the decorating is. I made on blingee that's why. Also, go to our profile to see a pic. Of our OC's, and go to my (Made2352) YouTube channel. Click the Koi no Sora Fic. Playlist, and it will show songs that represent each chapter.**

***Also, those who don't know what Konpeito looks like, it's those rainbow colored sugar candy that looks like starts. It's those things you see in Spirit Away, where they feet those soot balls.**

**EternalWaltz: We're tweaking the finer details as we go along, but for the most part, the story is on track and we hope it'll progress to your liking. I'm dutifully beta-ing each chapter to give you guys the best possible experience with Made2352's writing.  
**


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